The Rhythm
Masters (2) aka The Rhythmasters aka The Rhythm Kings (1) aka The Four Pals (1)
aka The Four Students (2) (New York)
Group members:
Cecil Murray (leader)
Leonard Thomas
Howard Scott
James Riley
Isaac Royal (pianist and arranger)
Leonard Thomas
Howard Scott
James Riley
Isaac Royal (pianist and arranger)
Discography:
Ann Cornell & The Rhythm Masters (2)
1948 - Always Mine / I’ve Been Though The Mill With
Bill (Bandwagon 517)
The Rhythmasters
1949 - I Was Third On A Match / Until Now (Bennett
401)
The Rhythm Kings (1)
1949 - Night After Night / I Shouldn’t Have Passed
Your House (Ivory 751)
1949 - If I Can't Have The One I Love (I’d Rather Have
No One At All) / How Do You Measure Love (Ivory 755)
The Rythmasters [sic]
1950 - I Shouldn’t Have Passed Your House*
*One sided record, not the same master as the Ivory
side
The Rhythm Kings (1)
1950 - Would You Still Be The One In My Heart?* /
Don't Talk Darling (Ivory 760)
1951 - Merry Christmas One And All / Christmas Is
Coming At Last (Apollo 1171)
1951 - Why My Darling Why / I Gotta Go Now (Apollo
1181)
*Should read “Would I Be Still The One In Your Heart”
The Four Pals (1)
1955 - Please Don't Say Goodbye / I'm On The Mend (Kay
787)
1955 - If I Can’t Have The One I Love / I Flipped
(Royal Roost 610)
1955 - No One Ever Loved Me / Can’t Stand It Any
Longer (Royal Roost 616)
Zilla Mays & The Four Students (2)
1955 - Come Back To Me / [Zilla Mays - Right Now]
(Groove 0127)
Little Tommy Brown & The Four Students (2)
1956 - The Thrill Is Gone / A Gambler’s Prayer (Groove
0163)
NOTE:
Some "Four Students" recordings on Groove were by the Cues (Groove
owned the name “Four Students”):
1955 - So Near And Yet So Far/Hot Rotten Soda Pop (Oh
My Toe) (Groove 0110)
1955 - [backing Lil McKenzie] Run Along / The Others I
Like (Groove 0113)
1956 - [backing Charles Calhoun] Jamboree / [My
Pigeon's Gone - no group] (Groove 0149)
1956 - [backing Varetta Dillard] I'm Gonna Tell My
Daddy* / Cherry Blossom* (Groove 0152)
*”Daddy" is the Cues; “Blossom” could be either
group
1956 - [backing Emmett Hobson] That's Me Without You /
I'm Keeping My Fingers Crossed (Groove unreleased)
1956 - [backing Varetta Dillard] That Old Feeling
(Groove unreleased)
Four
Students backup - the specific group is unknown (could be Four Pals (1) as Four
Students (2), Cues as Four Students (1), or others):
1955 - [backing Piano Red] Goodbye / [Six O'Clock
Bounce] (Groove 0118)
1955 - [backing Sue Allen] Think Of Tomorrow / [Set A
Wedding Day] (Groove 0130)
1955 - [backing Big John Greer] A Man And A Woman / [Blam
– Big Boy] (Groove 0131)
1956 - [backing Varetta Dillard] Darling, Listen To
The Words Of This Song / [Mama Don't Want (What Papa Don't Want)] (Groove 0139)
1956 - [backing Beverly Wright] Shake Till I'm Shook
[group is the "Students"] / [Don't Let The Sun Catch You Cryin' - Beverly Wright]
(Groove 0153)
1955 - [backing Big John Greer] I'll Never Stop Loving
You (Groove unreleased)
Biography:
The former Arthur Godfrey Talent Scout winners recorded
from 1949 - 1956 as the Rhythmasters (on Bennett), as The Rhythm Masters (on
Bandwagon ), as the Rhythm Kings (on Ivory and Apollo) and as the Four Pals (on
Kay and Royal Roost), and even did some backup work on Groove late in their
career.
Rhythm Kings |
Ann Cornell |
They were the “Four Students” group that backed up
Zilla Mays and Little Tommy Brown in 1955.
Zilla Mays |
Little Tommy Brown |
Rhythm Kings |
With friendly support of Marv Goldberg
Photos courtesy of Tony Fournier and Marv Goldberg
Sources:
Songs:
Always Mine / I’ve Been Though The Mill With Bill
I Was Third On A Match / Until Now
Night After Night
I Shouldn’t Have Passed Your House (Rhythm Kings)
If I Can’t Have The One I Love (I’d Rather Have No
One At All)
How Do You Measure Love
I Shouldn’t Have Passed Your House (Rythmasters)
Would You Still Be The One In My Heart?
Don't Talk Darling
Merry Christmas One And All
Christmas Is Coming At Last
Why, My Darling Why
I Gotta Go Now
Please Don't Say Goodbye
I'm On The Mend
If I Can't Have The One I Love
I Flipped
No One Ever Loved Me
Can't Stand It Any Longer
Come Back To Me
The Thrill Is Gone